Having feasted on a delicious ‘nellikkai rasam’ this week, it was more than enough inspiration for an article featuring our indigenous ‘star gooseberry.’ I didn’t know it was referred to as star gooseberry until a few years ago. To me it was just the small gooseberry that I picked off the tree in my parents’ home, all through my childhood years.
Having feasted on a delicious ‘nellikkai rasam’ this week, it was more than enough inspiration for an article featuring our indigenous ‘star gooseberry.’ I didn’t know it was referred to as star gooseberry until a few years ago. To me it was just the small gooseberry that I picked off the tree in my parents’ home, all through my childhood years.
And believe me, it was not an easy task for a child to deal with a tree that towered well over the roof of the garage. But at that age, no feat is impossible especially with the impending promise of gathering a handful of not just green but hopefully some of the ripe gooseberries with the pinkish tinge on the plump ridges. I don’t remember if we even bothered washing it before crunching into that tart flesh—a healthy dose of Vitamin C and fibre, just at the time nature delivered. No wonder our mothers didn’t have to make routine visits to the family doctor to check on our nutrient levels! I'm sure childhood nellikkai stories exist in most households in this city, and usually with an element of mischief included!
If you’re in a quandary at what to cook for lunch, we have a few recipes to suggest, featuring our star ingredient. A ‘nellikkai saadham’ is light, tangy and delicious for this time of year. When freshly grated gooseberries are mixed with finely shredded carrot and coconut, the sweetness of the orange and white gives the right contrast for the sour green. Also a cooling ‘gooseberry pacchadi’ made with curd, some green chillies and ginger to add sharpness and heat is a nice variation to eat with a simple ‘ellu or poondu saadham.’
The month of September brings a sunny break after the monsoons and is referred to as the second summer by Coimbatore residents. So, it’s no surprise that nature would come up with the perfect offering to suit the weather and our taste buds. The gooseberry tree branches are crowded with tight bundles of these vibrant green clusters. The shape itself is visually so delightful (star like) and this is one of the things that I like most about this special fruit.
A ‘nellikkai rasam’ is made simply by adding the gooseberry juice and pulp to water, letting it come to a boil and adding the usual tempering seasonings like asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chill and coarsely pounded garlic along with some aromatic rasam podi. It’s best to choose a blend of ripe and partially ripe gooseberries for this dish. If using the very raw green ones, a little jaggery can be added. The taste of the final dish must be well-rounded because if the sourness is taken to a lip puckering extent, it no longer continues to have a pleasurable impact on the taste buds.
In addition to the nellikkai saadham which went into my teenager’s tiffin for lunch, we also like to make a whole gooseberry pickle and experiment on making some gooseberry jam.
The excitement of waiting for and eating seasonal produce starts with identifying the source. Point out the gooseberry tree to the young ones in the family. Give them the opportunity of grabbing a few off the tree. Then when it’s added to a dish, the interest is already piqued and they are eager to taste. That’s how much fun ‘food education’ can be.
Each day is a learning process in the vast world of food. I find it truly astounding every time a reader shares a recipe that is unlike any other. The cache of food heritage passed down by our ancestors is the sort of wealth that when shared becomes more priceless. Even a simple ingredient like the tiny ‘nellikkai’ is capable of teaching us so much.